How can you drive a vehicle legally with a broken windshield in your country? Is a broken windshield illegal? Is it a legal NY state law to exchange a broken windshield for cash? Can you get arrested for a broken windshield? Can you legally take where repair is done at no cost?
The answers to these questions are complicated and yes, you can be arrested for driving with a broken windshield if you are caught. Many states have “no-fault” auto insurance which means that if you are involved in an accident, you can claim to have no-fault and simply pay out of your pocket or auto insurance company to repair the windshield. This does not mean that you cannot claim your injuries. Your auto insurance company may very well cover some or all of your expenses.
If you have damage to your windshield that needs repairs, you will need to write a claim to your auto insurance company or insurer. You will need to describe exactly what happened so they know how much to pay for your broken windshield repair. They will usually send someone out to assess the damage and then send you a price quote. This cost of repair may be covered by your auto insurance or the cost may be covered by a deductible you have chosen.
Tips
Sometimes, there is just a small chip in your windshield. Chipped windshields are typically covered by your auto insurance but a small chip may not be. For this, you may consider going to a windshield repair shop. Often, the windshield repair technician can chip a small portion of the glass allowing you to have a full windshield replacement rather than a broken windshield.
Often, the glass company will send out a repair order for you. The cost of this repair will include the cost of materials as well as labour costs for having the replacement window installed. Once your new windshield is installed, the repair company will cover the cost of removing and replacing any cracks or chips in the glass. You would then have the cost of the replacement. This cost will vary depending on the location of the crack or chip and also the amount of time it will take to repair the glass.
Replacement
Often, it takes several hours to chip a small part such as a chip in the centre of a divider or wing. Repair shops can replace the damaged windscreen on your behalf and then you will only have the cost of the labour and shipping. If you decide to have the whole windshield replaced, expect to pay anywhere from two to five times more than if you just had it repaired.
If a chip or crack gets worse, another windshield repair option is to have the damaged windshield repaired before ordering a new one. Often, the repair shop will order a chip or crack sealer when they see the chip or crack. This process will allow you to keep your damaged windshield in good shape until you order your new one.
Many times, insurers will approve the repair shop to do a chip or crack removal without charging anything for the job. Some will even allow the chip or crack to remain and allow you to have the new windshield installed until the new one arrives. In the event you have broken your windshield, you should contact your insurance company right away and talk about having it repaired. You might be surprised that your insurance company will actually pay for the repairs or even give you a rebate depending on the amount of damage and the duration of time it took to fix your broken windshield.